Big news: BA is being more flexible on rebooking your cancelled flights
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Ever since British Airways was forced to start cancelling flights due to the pandemic, there have been issues about how rebookings were handled.
EC261 legislation (PDF), and the new equivalent in UK law, says that, if a flight is cancelled, a passenger can move it to another date which is ‘at the passenger’s convenience’. This is not a phrase which is defined.
The policy adopted by British Airways was this. They were willing to move your flight up to a year from the original date of booking.
This was NOT the day you were due to fly. It was one year from the day you physically booked the flights.
On the upside, British Airways was being ultra-flexible. No Avios seats available? No problem. Cash tickets now far more than you originally paid? No problem.
There is no doubt that some people took advantage of this. Many booked flights to the Maldives or Caribbean on dates which were certain to be cancelled. They would claim that the only ‘convenient’ date to rebook was over Christmas and New Year when flights were at super-premium prices. Remember, the rule was ‘no Avios seats? No problem’.
On the other hand, some people seemed to be unfairly treated. If you had booked Avios seats 11 months ahead, you had zero flexibility over rebooking because you were about to hit the one year limit. Many people ended up taking refunds – not a problem for most, but difficult for those who booked in the ‘50% off’ Avios sale last October who would now need to rebook at full Avios price.
If you didn’t like BA’s policy, your only choice was to pursue the airline via CEDR arbitration or Money Claim Online. Many HfP readers did this.
British Airways seems to have changed its rules – for the better
Very quietly, a new policy seems to have been introduced on 8th July.
This is not written anywhere unfortunately. British Airways simply seems to have changed its definition of ‘ticket validity’ from 12 months from the date of booking to 12 months from the date you were due to fly.
This means that, for example, anyone who booked in September 2020 for travel in August 2021 can now rebook through to August 2022, rather than September 2021.
This change will come too late for many people who booked in the ‘50% off’ Avios sale last Autumn, although it has come in time to protect the Summer trips of many people.
If you want some proof that this policy change has taken place, take a look at this Flyertalk thread from post 37 onwards. Note that, looking at the comments, many telephone agents are not yet up to speed with the changes.
How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (April 2024)
As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards. Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses!
In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.
You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:
Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard
Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review
Barclaycard Avios Mastercard
5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review
There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:
British Airways American Express Premium Plus
25,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review
British Airways American Express
5,000 Avios for signing up and an Economy 2-4-1 voucher for spending £15,000 Read our full review
You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.
American Express Preferred Rewards Gold
Your best beginner’s card – 20,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review
The Platinum Card from American Express
40,000 bonus points and a huge range of valuable benefits – for a fee Read our full review
Run your own business?
We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.
SPECIAL OFFER: Until 12th May 2024, the Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa card is offering a bonus of 30,000 points, convertible into 30,000 Avios. You must have a Limited Company to apply. Click here to learn more and click here to apply.
Capital on Tap Business Rewards Visa
Huge 30,000 points bonus until 12th May 2024 Read our full review
You should also consider the British Airways Accelerating Business credit card. This is open to sole traders as well as limited companies and has a 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.
British Airways Accelerating Business American Express
30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review
There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.
American Express Business Platinum
40,000 points sign-up bonus and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review
American Express Business Gold
20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review
Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.
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